Fusible link flood valve



Aug. 23, 1960 5. w. BOYER 'FUSIBLE LINK FLoon VALVE FlGnl I .4 5 3| 35 .5 4 `2s 5 Ln Q CJ) 9) m) 3@ L I8 33 II II I n I I I I fZ? /I Q 22 24 S f I9 Q--28 2| le 5e INVENTOR.

G. W. BOYER BY r W@ WMV A ATTYS FUSIBLE LINK FLOOD VALVE George W. Boyer, Covina, Calif., assignor, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed Dec. Z, 19'57, Ser. No. 700,242

8 Claims. (Cl. 220-47) This invention relates to a flood valve and more particularly to a normally closed ood valve for use with an underwater ordnance device in which the valve is opened in response to the severance of a length' of fusible wire as an electric current is applied thereto.

In devices of this character heretofore devised, it has been the usual practice to employ a squib mounted within a steel body and a cap disposed within a steel nipple and in which the parts are forcibly separated by the detonation of the explosive squib, the separation of the parts being assisted by a coiled spring under tension. The separation of the parts exposes an aperture through which the water is admitted to flood the ordnance device. Although such ldevices have, in general, proven satisfactory in operation, it has been found that they are hazardous to personnel during preparation or loading of the ordnance device and furthermore are noisy in operation whereby detonation emitted by the squib type valves could reveal the location of the mine or other ordnance device and the vessel from which the mine is planted. Furthermore considerable difficulty has been experienced in the installation of these devices on the casing of the mine for the reason that they must, of necessity, be installed during the assembly thereof.

The device of the present invention possesses all of the advantages of the prior -art devices and none of the foregoing disadvantages. There is no hazard to personnel during preparation of loading of the mine and the device is noiseless in operation. Furthermore, it is adapted to be easily installed from the outside of the mine casing after the mine has been completely assembled and tested.

In accordance with the present invention this desirable result is achieved by employing a piston movably disposed within an open-ended cylinder and urged inwardly with respect thereto by a coiled spring disposed within the cylinder. The piston is releasably held in sealed engagement with the cylinder initially by a ball locking mechanism, the release of which is effected by severance of -a length of fusible wire in response to lan electrical impulse applied thereto as will be more clearly apparent as the description proceeds.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a new and improved flood valve which will be quiet in operation, safe to personnel and easy toinstall in a receptacle carried by a closed container.

Another of the objects is the provision of a flood valve actuatable to an open position in response to an electric impulse applied to a length of fusible wire carried thereby.

Still another object is the provision of a flood valve having resilient means for actuating the valve to an open position as a ball lock is released in response to the severance of a length of fusible wire carried by the valve when an electric impulse is applied thereto.

Other objects, advantages and improvements will become more clearly apparent from the following descrip- 4tion taken in connection with the accompanying drawings of which:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation partially broken away of a flood valve of the instant invention according to a preferred embodiment thereof and la section of mine casing carrying the valve;

Fig. 2 is a top end view of the Valve of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the ydevice shown on Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a View of the valve releasing mechanism taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4 taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of a plug suitable for use with the mine of Fig. l during handling and transportation thereof to a dist-ant assembling depot.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of the invention on which like numerals of reference are employed to designate like or similar parts throughout the several views and more particularly to Fig. l thereof, there is shown thereon a mine casing designated generally by the numeral 10 within which is threaded at 11 a mounting member 12 having a bore 13 therein terminating at one end thereof in a shoulder 14. An annular recess 15 is formed about the bore at the opposite end portion of the mounting member to receive a snap ring 16 thereby to maintain the plug or the ood valve, as the case may be, within the mounting member. There is also formed within the bore 13 an annular recess 17 adapted to receive and retain an O-ring 18 thereby to provide a seal between the flood valve and the mounting member.

The flood valve comprises -a cylindrical member 19 adapted to be slid into position within the mounting member 12 in sealed engagement with O-ring 18 and retained against shoulder 14 by snap ring 16. The member 19 is provided with a bore 21 for slidably receiving a cylindrical end portion of plug 22. The plug 22 comprises an annular raised portion 23 adapted for sliding movement within -a second bore 24 within member 19 and a second raised portion 25 of circular configuration defining a cylindrical element in spaced adjacency to portion 23 in such manner as t0 provide a seat for O-ring 26 thereby to maintain a slideable watertight seal between plug 22 and cylindrical member 19. The plug is continuously urged to an inward position by spring 27 having one end thereof in engagement with shoulder 28 formed on member 19.

The cylindrical member 25-of the plug 22 is provided with a pair of intersecting slots formed therein in a manner to provide four radial channels 29. As best show-n on Figs. 4 and 5, these channels are equiangularly displaced, each of said channels having a pair of balls 31 slideably disposed therein. A locking ball 31 is centrally disposed within the slots or channels 29 in such manner that when all of the balls are in a single plane the outermost ball in each of the channels 29 extends outwardly beyond the periphery of cylindrical element 25 sufciently to engage a complementary annular recess 32 formed in member 19 and thereby lock the valve in closed position as shown on Fig. l. The balls are urged inwardly by a cruciform spring 33 and normally retained in locking position by a cruciform member 34 slideably disposed within each of the channels 29 and maintained in locking position with respect to the balls by a plunger 35 carried by insulating member '36 secured to the end of cylindrical element 25 as by the screws 38, Fig. 3, the outer portion of member 36 being preferably cylindrical in conguration and conforming to the outside diameter of cylindrical element 25.

Secured to the top of element 25 as by tJhe screws 38 are a pair of latch members 39 and 41 having the end portions thereof formed in an L substantially as shown.

A retaining strip 42 formed substantially as shown is placed in position in engagement with one end of plunger 35 in such manner that an end portion thereof is latched by member 41 and the other end by avcomplementary latch member 43 substantially as shown. One end of member 43 is in engagement with the L-sha-ped end of latch member y39 and the other 'end is retained by a length of-thin fusible -wire 44 secured to member "36 as by the screws 45, a smalliportion of insulating material 46 being disposed between wire 44 and an endportion of latch member 43 to decrease the conduction of heat from the wire to member 43 as the wire is heated suiciently to be severed by'an electrical impulse applied thereto. A compound lever arrangement retained in a cocked position by a length of fusible wire is thus Tprovided. F[the screws 45 are also employed to secure the terminal strips 47-48 to the member 36 at an end portion thereof, the other end portion of the strips being provided with a pair of screws 49, Fig. 2, passing therethrough and threaded into the insulated member 36 for establishing an external electrical circuit to the fusible wire.

The operation of the device will now be described. Let it be assumed by way of example, that the device is assembled in the casing of mine as shown with levers 42 and 43 urged to a release position by spring 33 in such manner that this compound lever arrangement is adapted to be released by severance of fusible wire 44 and that the mine is submerged within the water. When it is desired to flood the mine an electrical impulse is applied by way of conductors connected to terminal strips 47-48 by screws 49 suicient to weaken and sever the fusible wire 44. When this occurs the levers or latch members 42-43 are released and plunger 35 is forced upward by leaf spring 33 thereby causing the centrally disposed or locking ball 31 to be moved out of the plane of the remaining balls. When this occurs the pairs of balls within each of the channels 29 yare actuated inwardly toward the center of the cylindrical element thereby unlocking plug member 22 from cylindrical member 19. Plug member 22 is now forced by spring 27 and the pressure of the water thereagainst inwardly and clear of cylindrical member 19 thereby opening the valve to the ow of water lthrough bore 21 thereof and flooding the mine.

On Fig. 6 is shown a plug designated generally by the numeral 51 and preferably composed of insulating material suitable for the purpose, such for example, as Bakelite, of cylindrical configuration and having a cylindrical portion 52 thereon of lesser diameter than the main body of the plug and an upstanding portion 53 to which is threaded a pair of terminal retaining screws 54. This plug may be advantageously employed with the mine of Fig. l for blocking the bore 21 of cylindrical member 19 within which the plug is disposed during the assembly of the mine and retained therein b-y snap ring `16, the control leads for the subsequent operation of fusible wire 44 having been connected to the plug by screws 54. When it is desired to install the valve within member 19, it is merely necessary to remove snap ring 16 and thread a tool into the tapped bore 55 formed inthe exposed end of the plug and withdraw the plug from cylinder 19. The leads are disconnected from the plug by loosening screws 54 and secured to the flood valve by the screws 49. The flood valve is now pushed into position within the cylindrical member 19 and locked therein by snap ring 16. When this has been done, the liood valve is ready for operation.

Preferably, though not necessarily, cylindrical member 19 is provided with a tapped hole 56 for connection with an extracting tool in the event that it is desired to withdraw the iiood valve from cylindrical element 19.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. the scope of the appended claims the invention may be -practiced otherwise than-as specically-described.

It is therefore to be understood that withinV What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A spring urged normally locked flood valve for an underwater weapon, in combination, a casing for said weapon, a hollow cylindrical member secured to said casing, a plunger slideably disposed Within said member and adapted to be detached therefrom, means providing a watertight seal between the plunger and said member, means comprising a coiled spring arranged within said member for urging said plunger inwardly with respect thereto, means including a plurality of balls for releasably locking said plunger to the cylindrical member in watertight relation therewith, means including a compound lever mechanism for selectively maintaining said balls in an initial locking position, and means including a length of fusible wire under tension and operatively connected to one end of said lever mechanism for unlocking said valve as the wire is severed by an electrical impulse applied thereto.

2. A spring urged normally locked ood valve comprising a tubular member having one end thereof in communication with the water when the valve is immersed therein, a plunger slideably disposed within said member and adapted to be detached therefrom, means yieldably urging said plunger to an open position free of said member, agball lock mechanism operatively connecting said plunger -to the tubular member, means for selectively maintaining said lock mechanism in a locked condition, and -a length of fusible Wire under tension and operatively connected to said last named means -for actuating said lock mechanism to effect the release of said plunger from lthe tubular member as the wire is severed by an electrical impulse lapplied thereto.

3. A spring urged normally locked ilood valve for a mine comprising a tubular member, a plunger slideably arranged within said tubular member in -watertight relation therewith, means urging said plunger to an open position free of said tubular member, bal-1 means locking the plunger to said tubular member in an initial position, and a length of fusible wire under tension and operatively connected 4to said locking means for causing the locking means to be unlocked as the wire is fused in response to an electrical impulse applied thereto.

4. A valve according to claim 3 in which said locking means comprises a plurality of balls for establishing a locking connection between said plunger and the tubular member.

5. A spring urged normally locked flood valve for a mine comprising a tubular member, a plunger slideably arranged within said tubular member in a water tight relation therewith, :a plurality of radial channels located at one end of said plunger and arranged 4in a cruciform configuration, a normally biased cruciform element slideably disposed within said channels, a plurality of balls located on said -biased element within said channels and cooperating with a recess in said tubular member for establishing an initial locked connection Ebetween said plunger and said tubular member, and means carried by said plunger for releasing said normally biased cruciform element to thereby unlock said plunger from said tubular member.

6. A valve according to claim 5 in which said last named means 'comprises a second plunger having one end thereof in engagement with said cruciform element at `a central-portion thereof, a compound lever mechanism operatively connected -to the other end of said second plunger, and a length of fusible wire under tension for retaining said lever mechanism in an initial cocked position until the wire is fused by an electrical impulse applied thereto.

7. A valve according to claim 6 comprising an insulating member disposed between said fusible wire and an end of one of the levers of said lever mechanism for preventing a substantial transfer of heat 'from the wire tothelever asthewire is fused.

8. A spring urged normally locked ood valve of the character disclosed comprising a cylindrical member of hollow coniguration Afor the oW of water therethrough, a movable valve element disposed within said cylindrical member for establishing a seal thereacross, means for yieldably urging said valve element to an open position clear of the cylindrical member, said valve member having four equiangular spaced slots radially arranged .therein, a pair of locking balls `in each of said slots, a

complementary annular cam surface formed Within said cylindrical member for locking engagement with said balls when the balls are forced radially outward into engagement therewith, a key ball arranged within said slots 4in axial relation to said cylindrical member for forcing said pairs of balls outwardly into locking engagement with said annular cam surface when the key ball is moved into aligned relation with each of said pairs of balls, spring means 'for actuating the key ball out of locking engagement with said pairs of balls, a cruciform member disposed within said slots for selectively retaining said balls in locking engagement with said cam surface off the cylindrical member, a compound lever mechanism carried by an end portion of said valve element, a plunger operatively connecting one of the levers of said lever mechanism to `said cruciform member at a central portion thereof in a manner to initially retain said balls in a locking position, and a length of fusible wire under tension and operatively connected to another of the -levers of said lever mechanism lfor preventing release of the lever mechanism and said balls until the wire has been fused by an electrical impulse supplied thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,891,183 Rowley Dec. 13, 1932 2,329,182 Boynton Sept. 14, 1943 2,367,639 Conboy Ian. 16, -1945 2,397,518 Allison Apr. 2, 1946 2,539,328 Sabatini et al. Ian. 23, 1951 2,586,248 Newman Feb. 19, 1952 

